No One Else Comes Close
by Kitts
Summary: Alex and Izzie bond after the prom.He is there for Izzie to lean on and they become good friends...maybe even more. But first Alex has to convince everyone that he truly loves her...LEXZIE but other couples slightly
1. Chapter 1 Confrontation

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

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Chapter 1-Into-"Confrontation"

Alex still followed closely behind Izzie as they went through the front doors; George slowly and deliberately followed a few steps behind.

"So this is where it happened," Alex thought taking a few minutes to glance around, " this is where Dr. Burke was shot and I would have been there too…" He shuddered. Suddenly he heard a new voice come from behind him and to the side, it was Dr. Torres talking quietly to George. Not wanting to intrude, he turned around. However, he soon heard George call out,

"Alex! What are we going to do?"

"I'll take care of Izzie and try to get her home" he replied, "for whatever reason she's only responding to me right now…but I'll call either you or Mer if anything happens…"

George had now reached him with Callie close behind, "Don't you dare do ANYTHING to hurt her" he growled, "ANYTHING. Because I swear, she doesn't need any of your crap right now and I know that **somewhere** in there is a part of you that knows that too…that actually gives a damn about how she feels."

_a silent stare-off ensues_

"…however small", George grumbles.

_He had gone too far with that last comment! _

"I'm NOT going to hurt her" Alex responded somewhat angrily, "I just want her to get home. Let her cool off."

George continued to keep their eyes deadlocked, his face contorted warning and anger, "Callie is going to be staying at Meredith's with me tonight so we're just going to get some of her stuff and then head over to Mer's" he grabbed Callie's hand and started to walk away but then turned around again, "I don't know what kind of brownie points your trying to earn yourself by doing this, Karev, but I don't think its really going to get you what you want. You broke her, Alex. Remember that." Then two of them walked back towards the hospital.

Alex turned, unsure of how he was feeling but deciding that getting Izzie home was what was most important right now. He glanced around in slight panic because Izzie had disappeared from his line of sight. Eyes darting around at lightning speed, he soon found her. Alex jogged forward a little to reach her.

Izzie was fumbling with her key, trying to get it in the slot to unlock the car door but sobs raked through her body too violently to keep her arm steady.

"Iz," Alex said quietly, touching her hand ever so lightly, Izzie slowly looked up at him, "you shouldn't drive like this… I'll take you home." He reached his hand out for her keys. She looked down at them as she considered his offer and eventually logic won out over pride. Lifting her head and looking up at him like a sinner in prayer, pleading eyes filled with pain and hope meshed together as one, Izzie dropped the keys into his outstretched palm, her eyes never leaving his. Her eyes startled him; haunted him and he could not break the spell between them. Her pain cried out to him through those eyes and now his heart reached out to her through his.

"I **can't** go back to Meredith's", she said suddenly, "...all my makeup...the two other dresses...my room it just…all over I'll just see…Denny _her sobs increase_…please, I can't go back. I have to be the strong one. I have to keep them going. I comfort Mer with all her problems. I always side with George. I can't let them see me so...so..."_she couldn't bear to say weak...or vulnerable because she didn't want to believe it herself_. "...like this", she finished.

Alex was suddenly uncomfortable and at a loss but he wanted to help her so he decided to take the chance "I can take u back to my place, would that be ok? I can sleep on the couch, its a pullout, I-"

"No," Izzie said firmly.

"...No?..." Alex asked a little worriedly _Smooth, Karev…real smooth. Now she probably won't even get in the car with YOU to go ANYWHERE_

"I'll take the couch" she said between sniffles, "it's your house...I-I just need to go somewhere...and...and think"

"_Leave it to Izzie to think about manners at a time like this..." _he thought, internally chuckling, it was one of the things he loved about her. "Sure Iz," he said comfortingly and going around to open the passenger-side door for her, "let's get outta here."

They had been driving for a while when Alex was suddenly startled by the sound of her voice next to him.

"Thank you" she said quietly, "Alex."

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After getting Izzie settled on the couch, Alex sat with her and held her until she eventually cried herself to sleep.

"I'd better call Meredith" he thought, "before Bambi has the whole forest hunting me down." _The last bit added bitterly of course._

"Hey Mer" he said after dialing Grey's number, "Listen, Izzie said she needs to get away for a little while so she's gonna stay with me. Is that okay?"

"What!" Meredith exclaimed surprised and somewhat distracted.

"As soon as I can, I'll try to get her back to you guys," he added quickly, " but she really needs some time to calm down and there's too many memories over there."

"I guess that's okay…" Meredith replied sounding very unsure.

"Yeah," Alex continued. "I thought you be would be more understanding. Unlike O'Malley who nearly jumped down my throat thinking that all I wanted was to get in her pants."

"Well" Meredith said, her voice gaining a berating teacher-like quality, "its not like you've really given any of us reason to trust you, Alex."

'I know" he responded dejectedly and shame-faced, "but you know I wouldn't intentionally hurt her, Mer…especially not now…I know I've made some mistakes, I have to live with them everyday and I hate myself for it-"

"I know" Meredith replied sympathetically, she knew what that was like and the enhanced cold affect the breeze from the window had on her as it blew around and up her dress served to only further remind her. "I know how you feel about her…and she's decided to trust you, so that's something even George and Cristina will have to accept. But Alex, please don't try anything… and don't do anything to screw this up. She needs you right now…but be careful about getting too involved and don't pressure her."

Alex was silent, waiting for her to continue. 

Not believing what she was about to say but feeling it was necessary since she had just ascertained the true meaning and value of the words she had heard earlier, she said " Ask yourself, 'What does this mean?'"

"Thanks, Mer" Alex said, his hand and voice shaking slightly for some reason, "I'll be by tomorrow to get some of her stuff."

"Okay", Meredith said as waves of emotion were battling throughout her body over what had happened during the prom, "Goodnight"

"Goodnight" Alex said as he hung up the phone, checked in on Izzie, pushing a strand of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear. He walked toward the door but stopped in the doorway,

"Goodnight" he murmured as he glanced at Izzie and turned out the light.

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A/N- Hey everyone, this is just my intro to my favorite story I have written so far (I have also written LOST and Breakfast Club fics). Please feel free to review and please tell me where you think I should go with it. I REALLY don't want to make it cliché and I want a very strong friendship between Alex and Izzie before any romance romance, ya know? Okay, Chapter 2 will be up in a few minutes actually and then it might take a little longer for me to update.


	2. Chapter 2 Imploding

Chapter 2- "Imploding"

Izzie sat in the corner chair wearing a hugely oversized sweatshirt and lounge pants. Her hair frizzed at the edges and hung limply at her chest, and her face was dulled and emotionless. She had been this way for a week or so now, tears long dried out, long cried out.

Denny hadn't really had much family and so, following his wishes, his body had been cremated without any pomp and circumstance. Izzie didn't think this was fair, not for a man like Denny, but she had learned the hard way that things weren't fair in life and this arrangement suited her because she didn't think she could stand another "goodbye". There was a memorial for him in the cemetery though, maybe she would visit it when she was strong enough to face this harsh reality with composure. But not now, no, she hadn't been her composed and chipper self for a while and no one must see her any other way. So she continued to implode.

Alex walked in and sighed sadly. He hated seeing her liked this. If he tried hard enough, he could make her smile, and he **had** been trying** whenever **he could, but fleeting happiness wasn't good enough for him, not when it came to her.

"Iz," he said cautiously and interrupting her thoughts, "why don't you… you know… wash your face, brush your hair, get changed into something a little…nicer…" His words trailed off.

"Oh!' Izzie whirled on him, her eyes ablaze, "So! You only hang around with me because I'm 'beautiful', a 'glamour girl', 'the centerfold of some freakin' magazine'? I-" _She had trusted him, believed him… enjoyed his company _

"SHIT!" Alex thought, "that had come out wrong" and so he quickly interrupted her 

"Izzie, Izzie-"

Through tears she interrupts and continues between sobs, having now walked over to him

"I CANNOT… believe…y-you wou-" _How could he turn on her like that?_

_He put his hands on her shoulders and tries to calm her down _

"Izzie, no, listen to me"

Izzie tried to push his hands of, "You are SUCH a-" _Seriously? Was he that shallow! She had thought he was being sweet! Seriously!_

"Look at me," he said dipping his head slightly to meet her eyes, "that's not what I mean at all. I could care less if you walked around in muddy rags and looked like you were just hit by an eighteen-wheeler, but doing what YOU'RE doing usually means a person isn't taking care of herself and isn't happy.

Izzie opened her mouth to say something, indignation showing through her tears, but Alex put up a hand to stop her.

"And I know it sounds inconsiderate and disrespectful to be talking to you about being 'happy' considering what happened, but why do you think Denny asked you to marry him? Why do you think he went along with all your plans? Why do you think he was willing to do anything for you? He loved you and he wanted to see you happy… and I do too-."

He looked down unsure of how much to say. He knew that **both** things applied to him as well as they had for Denny, but…now wasn't the time for that and he knew it. He may be an ass sometimes but even HE knew where to draw the line…and this was Izzie! She needed time to heal. He looked up again and met her eyes.

"-I want to see you happy too." The pain in his eyes was evident at leaving so much unspoken, but he was ashamed of how small his 'pain' was when he weighed it against how she must be feeling.** His** love had not been shattered as hers had been by Denny's death, he had merely broken it and destroyed any chances of a relationship with Izzie **himself**… it was his **own **damn fault. But, if given the chance he would not let it happen again.

Izzie just stared at him, almost incredulously, mouth slightly agape and blinking through teary eyes. She wondered if he realized just how honest, genuine, and kind he was being.

Alex shuffled nervously under her intense and somewhat perplexing gaze. However,** his** gaze remained sincere and he was not unnerved.

A slow hint of a smile spread upon Izzie's lips. She took a few small steps toward Alex until there were but inches separating the two of them. Taking moment to freeze time and space and cause the entire world around them to ever so briefly come to a screeching halt, she locked eyes with him as she looked him in the face. The slight height difference between them had no inhibitory effect on the connection their shared eye contact created, it was more powerful than any physical contact most people ever encounter in their entire lives. Words were not needed here.

Suddenly she flung her arms around his neck with a nervous half-laugh that served partially to mask the hiccups of raw emotion, left over from her breakdown moments earlier, that were still bubbling up from inside her.

Alex filled the remaining awkward space between them by letting out the breath he had been holding. He in turn wrapped his arms around her supportively and gently stroked her hair. Some time had passed when abruptly Alex felt the beautiful angel in his arms begin to shake slightly and then heard a faint and muffled sob. Easing up on the soft strokes he had been giving her back, he held her away from him at arms length. Seeing her tear-stained cheeks he asked, "Izzie, what's wrong? You're crying again."

Izzie looked down, ashamed.

"I just can't do this anymore" she whispered.

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A/N: Ok, that's Chapter 2…once again please review and give suggestions. I love feedback. I'm working on Chapter 3 but it probably won't be up for a while…it will be called "Exploding" though, so I'm sure you can make a few guesses about it.


	3. Chapter 3 Exploding

A/N: bold italicized means that it happened in the past…I think you'll get it:)

Chapter 3- "Exploding"

Alex slowly led Izzie over to the couch and sat her down, him sitting next to her but turned so he was facing her. Keeping her hands in his, he used one to lean back and grab a tissue from the box on the end table and hand it to her.

"Go on, Iz," he coaxed softly.

"This," she said, her breath catching repeatedly and her face turning red from emotion, "wearing masks that only show half of me, telling only half the story, and now only half living! I can't do it! _Emotion bubbles up and catches in her throat causing her words to be less comprehendible._ "I can't do it anymore!"

Alex pulls her to him and gently strokes her hair. Izzie buries her face in his shoulder and then turns her face outwards to continue.

"All my life I've had to hold it all in!" she says bitterly as her body and Alex's ears prepared for the approaching explosion,

" '_**Crying won't do nothin' Isobel!' **_

'_**But Dad…'**_

'_**But nothing! It's just a sign of weakness. I don't wanna see it!' "**_

Her face contorts into a look of hatred and hurt.

" '_**Cricket, I have bigger things to worry about than your boy troubles.'**_

'**_Mom he left me! Left me and-' _**

'**_Cricket, what about your father leaving me? I need you to be here for me right now!"_**

"Iz, I'm so sorry…" Alex said, heartbroken by her pain, he knew what it was like to have a family that didn't really understand.

She continued,

" I was a listener, a helper, a shoulder to cry on all my life. I don't regret it. I wouldn't give it back for the world. It's made me everything I am and I love it, but now people expect it, and… and… that's okay, but I can't always give it. It's happened before, Alex, if I'm not "Little Miss Sunshine" for one minute I hear, "Stevens is in a bitchy mood today" No! Stevens is not in a bitchy mood today! _Stevens_ is human!"

"So," Alex said solidly, "they think you're a bitch. They'll get over it. Putting others before yourself is one thing, but sacrificing your own happiness for their sake ALL THE TIME is another. Why do it?"

"Because," she said pulling back and looking at him earnestly, "I'm afraid I'll be left all alone… that scares me."

"Well Izzie, I've seen you with O'Malley and Grey, and heck, even Yang, and I don't think they would think any less of you if you were to show any, what you call… "weakness." It's not weakness; you're hurting. We all understand that and I think everyone's finally realized that your not invincible… and we understand that too. If anything, you're being unhappy just scares them because they had hoped for a foolproof distraction from their own problems. And no, it wasn't fair, but that doesn't mean they didn't hope for it to be true. I think they realize now though, and I mean… I don't think that they will treat you any differently, but there will be… some sort of understanding between you guys that will make you closer. I really think you found some true friends here Iz, and I don't think you want to loose them by hiding."

Izzie who had been listening intently and experiencing a welling up of feeling in her heart at both the realization of the truth in what he was saying and gratefulness at having people like him and them to care about her, suddenly lowered her eyes,

"I know…"

Alex gazed at her intently, sensing that there was more coming.

"I hate this! I don't mope! I was just scared, _she looked up at him _you know? But I guess I shouldn't be, like you said. And I… I really am heartbroken. Denny he… I…he just…I thought he was the love of my life or at least I thought he might have been... but now I'll never find out. _She choked slightly on her tears. _All my life… there have always been opportunities, I just had to be **strong enough**, **determined enough**, or **passionate enough** and I could get them, but to have an opportunity thrown at me like that, an opportunity so… so amazing and so seemingly perfect just handed to me and then having it ripped away… it makes me wonder… and it makes me doubt. It seemed so easy."

"Life is never easy, Iz." Alex said solemnly.

"No," Izzie replied, "No it's not… and it didn't matter if I was strong enough or determined enough, or passionate enough this time… _her eyes became distant_... it didn't matter at all."

"Yes it did," Alex nearly shouted suddenly. _Startled, Izzie's eyes refocus on his face, _"It mattered to him, to Denny. His death was not your fault. It could have just as easily happened on its own and maybe it would have. But in his last hours on this earth he saw someone who loved him fiercely enough to risk everything to save his life. I think that mattered."

Tears were streaming down Izzie's face, but she didn't make a sound.

" and it mattered to everyone in that hospital who knows what you did," he went on. _Izzie looked startled, 'How could that be?' _ "because they saw a woman who loved a man so intensely that she went to the furthest extremes for him. More than that, they saw a doctor who with lightning-fast thinking did what she thought would save a suffering man's life. Granted it was a little selfish, granted she was too involved and granted it may not have been right… in that moment it was what she thought had to be done. After all, sometimes all a doctor has is a moment, just one moment to make a decision that can alter lives. **Was** there even a "right decision?" I don't know. But they don't either. So I think that mattered too."

She stared at him wordlessly. A few minutes went by, as well as a few moments of her mouth and a few attempts at words. The silence continued however, until she finally found her voice again,

"I…I screwed up though," she said slowly, "on top of lying, cutting cords, endangering lives… I've accepted those wrongs, as wrongs… but I quit. I quit! And I…_he could tell she was only half speaking to him and half speaking it out loud to work it out for herself_ …I don't know if I can accept that yet…"

"So don't," he said simply.

She stared at him.

"Explain yourself, apologize, do whatever is necessary, no one said you were fired… you have a chance, an opportunity," he said, deliberately alluding to earlier in the conversation, "Go for it! Right now you have nothing to lose."

She smiled with the realization, that "old Izzie sparkle" returning to her eyes.

Suddenly the phone rang.

Alex looked at Izzie apologetically. Silently, she gave him permission to answer it. Walking into the kitchen he picked up the phone.

(murmurs of a conversation can be heard from the living room)

Izzie was deep in thought and didn't hear Alex come back in the room. She jumped when she felt the cushions shift as he sat back down. To his surprise she flashed him a smile.

"Who was it?" she asked.

He put his hand behind his neck and looked apprehensive, but seeing her looking at him expectantly he said, "It was Meredith actually, she's having a little get together for the 4th of July at five and wanted to know if either of us wanted to come." _Would she want to go? Her expression didn't look promising._

"Oh," she replied looking down and then looking back up, "Alex?"

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I just wanted to say how… grateful I am for everything you've just said… and everything you've done since that night. You've really been great and I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. _He smiled, slightly amused at the memory_. And I….…I just…… thank you," she finished.

"Anytime Iz, and I hope it made you feel a little better," he said sincerely.

"and just so you know, these are all yours any time you need them" he said pointing to his ears and wiggling them, a grin spreading across his face.

Izzie burst out laughing and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

Jumping up she said, "What time did you say Mer's party was? 5? Then we'd better hurry!" she ran over to the bags of her stuff in the corner, pawed through them, and ran with her selections into the bathroom.

Her excitement and whirlwind execution prevented him from seeing the blush that had risen ever so slightly to her cheeks. He wouldn't have cared anyway. He was just happy he could help.

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A/N: Alright guys, I'm SOOOO sorry that took so long but I've been really busy and probably will be for a while. However, I do know where I want to go w/ the next chapter which will be called "Homecoming"), so that will save me some time! Anyway, PLEASE let me know what you guys think. I'm trying not to go too OOC w/ Alex, but I needed him to be compassionate…so we'll see, but next chapter will have the return of the "other" Alex, lol. Ummm….oh yeah, as far as the wiggling his ears thing…well my sis and dad can do that and I thought it would make some good comic relief, idk…maybe it's a little weird but whatever. Also, I've only edited this chapter about…50 times in comparison w/ my usual 100 (I have major OCD as far as that is concerned), so I'll keep editing all the way until my next chapter is up, so disregard any errors (I'm sorry!). PLEASE REVIEW because I LOVE to hear from you guys. I'm so excited for next season and Lexzie fics ease my withdrawal symptoms, lol, so please guys WE NEED TO SEE SOME MORE OUT THERE! Until next time….Kitts


	4. Chapter 4 Homecoming

Chapter 4- "Homecoming"

The ride to Meredith's was considerably more lighthearted than the conversation from earlier. For Izzie, it felt good to laugh as Alex clearly embellished on awkward dating mishaps of his youth…

"…so yeah…as you can imagine she never called me back after THAT experience." Izzie was laughing so hard she nearly had tears coming out of her eyes, so it was amid gasps that she managed to ask,

"You? The alleged smooth-talking sex god of Seattle Grace?"

"Yep," he grinned sheepishly for a moment and then regained his arrogant composure and turned his attention back to the road, "but that was a looooooong time ago. Now I'm COMPLETELY irresistible." He now smiled cheekily and dramatically.

"Oh yes, of course," Izzie played along. Turning his head briefly to glance at her, Alex said in a purely joking but mock serious manner,

" Now Stevens, I'm making a HUGE exception here by telling you all this…you HAVE to promise that what you heard in this car STAYS in this car!"

"Scout's honor," Izzie said giggling and holding up four fingers with her thumb across her palm.

"Good," Alex said firmly, but trying not to laugh at the same time. He eased the car to a stop and parked in front of Meredith's house. Izzie grabbed her stuff from the backseat and just before she slammed the car door she added,

"Wouldn't want Georgie to find out you had trouble with the ladies!" With that she ran to the front door.

After unloading the alcohol they had been asked to bring, Alex joined her.

"I'm not afraid of O'Malley," he defended himself in a macho voice.

"Surrrrrrre," Izzie replied with an innocent look that said she was not convinced.

"Hey," Alex quipped, leaning towards her and lowering his voice, "…at least I'm not dating a man! Should you tell him or should I?" Izzie gave his shoulder a rough shove,

"ALEX!" she exclaimed but couldn't help giggling slightly.

Suddenly Meredith opened the door and greeted them. She gave a small squeal at the sight of Izzie and crushed her in a rib-cracking hug. She soon led her to the living room to set down her stuff and then to the backyard where the barbeque was to be held. Alex went to the kitchen and began to unload all the things he was carrying, which included the tasty appetizers Izzie had "whipped up" (which to Alex seemed to have quite a similar definition to "ransacking Alex's kitchen", but nevertheless, he could not deny that they looked and smelled amazing).

Cristina came up behind him as he finished putting the beer in the fridge and started arranging Izzie's appetizers on a platter as she had specified earlier.

"Well someone's pretty WHIPPED," she taunted snidely. Alex glared at her with slight poison and muttered,

"Your mom." Cristina laughed with slight amusement and would have loved to continue, but her fun was interrupted by Burke's voice from the other room,

"Dr. Torres! Glad you could make it. Meredith and O'Malley are in the back. Oh! And Dr. Stevens is here as well!"…

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The barbeque dinner was delicious and the atmosphere was light and enjoyable.

"Oh," Burke said suddenly, "I heard they're going to be shooting fireworks over the bay (A/N: is it a bay?) later tonight, if anyone would like to go."

"Over the bay?" George asked with interest.

"Yes," Burke replied, "I believe they are shooting them off some ferryboats." Meredith's fork clattered to the floor at his statement.

"Sorry," she mumbled when everyone turned to look at her.

"That sounds fun," Callie said looking at George with a questioning glance.

"Yeah," he agreed happily and looked to his left, past Alex at Izzie, "You coming Iz?" he asked. Izzie smiled.

"No, I really would like to, but I'm really tired. Alex and I stayed up pretty late last night." She smiled over at Alex simply because she couldn't help it.

They had, Alex recalled:

**FLASHBACK TO THE NIGHT BEFORE**

**Izzie's eyes stared through the TV as the images flickered on the screen. These eyes were not watching Jay Leno as the audience laughed heartily at his comic monologue. No, these eyes were hollow and mournful. The ticks of the clock met Alex's ears at a volume that was deafening and seemed to overpower the voices and the laughter. From the opposite side of the couch he watched Izzie intently. Conversation had already been attempted many times but had been awkward and uneasy. So, now he merely sat silently and wished desperately for the moment to end and Izzie to finally drift off to sleep. It seemed to be the only time she was at peace and he would not leave her side until this was the case. **

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Alex now smiled back because he HAD found a way to help her -this morning, or at least a little bit. However, he soon noticed George's face and realized from the look of mortification that Georgie-boy had very different ideas as to why they had both been up so late. Annoyed by his presumptions and not being able to resist his cocky tendencies Alex wiggled his eyebrows at George and gave a self-satisfied grin. George nearly choked on his food. Izzie did not notice however and continued by directing her next statement first to Alex and then to the rest of the table,

"I think I'm gonna stay here tonight…maybe try my luck with coming home again." Meredith and George could not conceal their happiness and Meredith leapt on the opportunity to avoid the ferryboats,

"Izzie that's great! I'll stay here with you and help you get settled."

"Oh Meredith, I don't want to spoil your fun-" Izzie began.

"No!" Meredith interrupted, "it's the very least I could do! I feel like we haven't been able to do ANYTHING for you these past couple of weeks and I can't tell you how happy I am to have my roomie back!" She smiled, it wasn't a lie.

Izzie's heart melted slightly at the statement, she really did love her friends. Everyone began to chatter excitedly about either the plans for later in the evening or the fact that Izzie was home again, no one noticed the crestfallen look Alex could not conceal.

"Hey umm wow," he said, " I have an early shift tomorrow morning…I should probably get going." They did not pay much attention to his comment but all uttered a half-hearted "bye." Izzie was surrounded by Callie and Burke and could not get away to say anything more to him and to be honest, she too was caught up in the moment. George however took the time to ask in a patronizing way through his teeth, as a means of trying to stick up for his best friend…as he wrongly thought he needed to,

"Gotta go find a replacement for your most recent bedmate?"

"Something like that." Alex muttered with his back turned to George as he threw out his plate. _Why bother defending himself? No one would believe him anyway._ He turned and winked at him and then left to start the lonely drive home.

"So then," Burke said happily, "it looks its just Callie and George coming with us Cristina." Cristina looked up from her plate, her chewing slowed, and she glanced at Callie and George with her face rather frozen in place.

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"Relax," Meredith said, attempting to console her best friend as she dried the dishes, "I'm sure it won't be as bad and your making it out to be."

"BUT MER," she said with disbelief, "I'm gonna have to hear all sorts of comments about 'double dates' and 'the more the merrier'…and that's not even including the hours of O'Malley and Madame Bonecracker's lovefest!"

"Oh Cristina," Meredith said laughing, but wondering where Izzie had gone off to.

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Izzie had thrown her stuff on the floor of her room and changed into some pajamas, but now she lay curled up on her bed shivering despite the mid-summer humidity. Her room felt dark and endless. She stared at the two prom dresses that hung idly from her closet door and now had thin layers of dust covering them. That's kind of how she felt right now…discarded and dusty…but her eyes began to slowly droop as she realized that this was not going to be a simple or easy process. She knew her future would contain both ups AND downs but she just had to keep the willpower to wake up each morning and make herself strong enough to face them.

Breakdowns were okay as long as she allowed others to help her put herself back together again. Alex had taught her that, and she was willing to try.

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Meanwhile, back at his apartment, Alex HAD found his replacement for the evening. Unlike George had suspected though, it was not another woman, but rather a frosty bottle of beer. The condensation on the bottle chilled his hand and the cold feeling traveled up his arm until it reached his chest and caused him to shiver slightly. The place seemed so empty without her.

Soon, the deafness of sleep slowly began to overtake him and he could hear whispers of "The Late Show" begin to fade away. It would be hard getting used to her not being there with him, but he knew she needed space and time, so he was willing to try.

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A/N: I am SOOO sorry its taken me so long to update. I have been really really busy with…well…just life in general. I don't know when I will be able to update next, so I won't make any promises. However, please know I WILL try. With this chapter I kind of wanted to take a peak into why Alex sometimes acts the way he does. I know things seem kind of out of place, but I wanted Izzie to be happy for a while because the story would really be no fun with her just moping all the time. However, at the same time its rather unrealistic to just make it "all better" for her, so that's why I included that last scene with her. Umm…also, I try to parallel Alex and Izzie and best as I can so that I can demonstrate how they rely on one and another and how they will both change and grow together. Please review because I love to hear from you guys and I also will take a look at any suggestions you have for the story. I hope I haven't let you down. 


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